Deal
by NarakuTheDarkOne
Summary: Abigail Watson needs help in Math and Edward Mazek was asked to help her out. She learns of Edwards problems and convinces him to let her help him. Edward finds he likes this Abby more than he should. Find out what happens with this unlikely pair.
1. Chapter 1: Edward

Chapter 1: Edward

Chapter 1: Edward

I awoke to the blaring buzz of my alarm clock. Even opening my eyes to the dim shine of the sun set my head pounding. As usual I drank too much last night, and once again I made a mental note not to drink on school nights. I reached over with my eyes closed and groped for the wonderful snooze button, but only succeeded in knocking the whole thing off the little table. I swore and rolled off the bed. I found the cord and yanked it from the wall.

I was still dressed from last night so I stripped off my clothes and climbed back in bed. School wasn't the most appealing idea anyways. I fell back asleep almost instantly. What I forgot was it was my dad's day off; he stormed into the room yelling.

"What do you think you're doing?! You'll be late for school! Get your lazy ass out of bed!" He yanked the covers off my face and, mercifully, stopped his yelling. He took one look at my face and he turned beet red.

"Drinking again? What is wrong with you? Now you are definitely going to school. It's your own fault you have a hang-over." He bellowed in my face. I sat up slowly rubbing my eyes, groaning at the movement. I clutched my head between my hands and groaned again.

"Dad, please stop yelling." I pleaded, but it only set him off again.

"Why? You're the one who got drunk last night!" He screamed, but he was calming down. His face regained its normal color. "Get yourself out of this bed and to school."

He crossed the small room and slammed the door behind him. I cringed at the noise and glanced at where my alarm clock should have been. I could only vaguely remember it falling off the table. I decided my dad wasn't going to let me stay home so I heaved myself out of bed and staggered around the room grabbing clothes. I more or less fell into the bathroom and grabbed onto the counter to steady myself. I nearly scalded myself in the hot shower but I remembered reading it helped hangovers.

I brushed my teeth but didn't bother with my hair; I almost tumbled down the stairs but managed to catch myself. Once I got into my car I leaned my head back for a second, it felt like someone hit me repeatedly with a sledge hammer. The ignition caught with a low purr and for that I was grateful, I drove slower than I should have and stopped on the way to get a coffee. I should've gone straight to school, I was already running late. Somehow I didn't really care; usually I cared about school a lot more than anything. I arrived somewhere in the middle of first period so I decided to wait in my car until the bell rang.

As I sat there I thought about last night and this morning. I didn't go to a party I knew that much, I don't usually get sloshed at parties; most kids don't even invite me when they have parties. Sometimes when I was in a bad mood that didn't stop me, I went anyways, snagged some beer or vodka and left. Last night I went to the store and bought some wine coolers, not really planning to get all out drunk. But one led to another and before I knew it I had downed quite a few.

Mostly I avoided looking at myself this morning, but I now yanked the rear-view mirror down to see my face. As I suspected my eyes were bloodshot to the point where they were almost all red, I had deep purple circles under my eyes and my hair looked like I didn't even wash it. I tried smoothing the dark locks but they sprang back up as soon as my fingers left them. Sighing, I gave up and sat back heavily. I thought back to when my father slammed into my room and winced, things were never going to change between us. I never really dared to hope that anything would change. He absolutely loathes me. Whenever he looks at me it is only with dislike and anger. I'm sure my face only shows disgust when I look at him. Unless, like this morning, I looked half dead.

When he looks at me that way it's like he thinks it's my fault I were born. In fact it was his fault I was born. I shook my head slowly, trying to dislodge the thoughts my mind had turned to. If couldn't change it, why dwell on it? I had a sudden burst of hatred towards my father. How could he be unfaithful to someone so forgiving? Someone he didn't deserve? My step mother wasn't fond of me either; I couldn't really blame her for it. It would definitely be embarrassing to have to raise a child who isn't yours. That's me. Illegitimate.

I would be with my real mother, except she was only nineteen when I was conceived and born. I guess she wasn't strong enough to have a baby and her body refused. Before she died she made sure the doctors had me named Edward. She must have known she wouldn't make it. She died and the doctors barely saved me. They would have done better not to have bothered with me. So now my father has a burden not to mention an embarrassment, and my step mother is raising me, or rather trying.

The bell rang signaling the end of first period, so I dragged myself out of my car and headed for the school. I signed in and received my detention with good grace. I gathered my books from my locker and headed to English. I sat in my usual seat in the back. The day passed with its usual monotony, and by the time I arrived in the cafeteria my head was pounding again and the bright lights were not helping.

The cafeteria was already noisy by the time I got there so I decided to go to my next period class and beg to sit there. Normally I would've left school since I already had a detention for skipping but I had a test in trigonometry. Edward Mazek never misses a test. It may sound funny from the drunk but I don't miss tests and I rarely miss homework assignments. I left the noisy hall and headed for the second floor classroom. Mr. Burkes was the trig teacher for both honors and non-honors.

I made it to the classroom without incident, and found the room empty except for Mr. Burkes himself. He seemed to be engrossed in his grade book; it looked like he was scanning his student lists. I knocked on the door with my free hand; my books were tucked under the other. Mr. Burkes looked up from his book and waved me forward. I moved into the room slowly.

"Do you mind if I just sit in here? I have a migraine and the cafeteria wouldn't help me out." I said approaching his desk. He smiled slyly and shook his head.

"No, you mean you have a hang-over. But yes, I suppose you can sit here. Besides I've been meaning to talk to you, Mr. Mazek." He said smiling. Mr. Burkes was a shorter man, and a bit stocky. His muddy brown eyes always reminded me off frog's eyes. He wore thin wire glasses in front of those unblinking eyes most of the time.

I figured he wanted to lecture me about drinking, or skipping school or something stupid so I grabbed a chair and heaved a sigh as I sat down in front of his desk. He caught the expression on my face and laughed.

"Oh, it's not that bad! I was a teenager once too. But I've actually been meaning to ask you a favor." He said still smiling faintly. I looked at him cautiously for a minute before replying.

"A favor? What kind of favor?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest. Not really what I had expected. I really figured he was going to lecture me, but it seemed he really meant it. He took off his glasses and wiped them on his shirt, a nervous gesture.

"Now, I know you like to keep to yourself but I'd really like you to consider what I'm asking. In my second period class I have another junior who is struggling with the material. Now I was wondering if you would maybe tutor her. You are my best student, no matter how popular a gossip topic you are." He looked startled, as if amazed such a thing came from his mouth. "I meant you're my best student. I'm sorry I didn't mean to bring that up."

He was right though, I was a very popular gossip topic. I could almost always be found in front of the liquor store with a bottle of something rather strong in one hand, and a cigarette in the other. Most days my dad comes and drags me home. I rubbed my head and considered what he was asking. He wanted me, a bad-ass, perfect student, to tutor another person.

"Don't worry about it. But why?" I asked. I strongly believed that whoever needed help could do just fine if they stood on their own two feet if they really wanted to. Mr. Burkes put his glasses back on and looked down at his grade book again.

"You are my best student. You pass every single test, and I bet you don't really pay attention in class, when you are in, that is. And I'm also willing to bet you don't really study much either. That's why. Anyways, this girl is in real trouble and her parents would be crushed if she didn't pass because of math." He seemed to be clutching at straws. He must've thought that since I was in a pissy mood I would need extra persuading. I sighed; I owed this man for even passing me.

"Who is it?" I asked. He seemed to sense a victory, he smiled.

"Her name is Abigail Watson. She is in my second period class so I don't know if you know her. Probably not, she isn't in any honors classes and you are." He closed his mouth and gauged my response. I leaned forward a little and unfolded my arms. I gave a little shrug and sighed.

"I don't have anything else to do. Actually, I nearly forgot. I have a detention, I was late this morning." I smiled a little and rubbed my eyes. Mr. Burkes laughed at that and sat back in his own chair.

"I'll take care of the detention for you. And I'll catch Abby in the hall and get her info for you. You really don't have to spend too much time with her, just and hour or two after school." He reached out and closed the grade book.

Later in the hallway before eighth period, Mr. Burkes caught up to me and handed me a slip of paper. He told me to call the number after school if I couldn't make it today. I wondered, looking down at the scrap of paper, what I got myself into.

**That's Chapter one. It's kind of a Twilight theme only without vampires and any real action. It's mostly just a romance but I'm trying this out here. Let me know what you think please if I get at least one good review I'll put in the next chapter. (I have it written )**


	2. Chapter 2: Abigail

Chapter 2: Abigail

Chapter 2: Abigail

I slammed my hand down on my paper in frustration. Why wouldn't the stupid numbers just cooperate? Why couldn't they play nice and come out to the right answers? I glanced at my bedside clock across the room. 6:50 AM. I had gotten up early to try to pull together the homework. It hadn't worked; I was as bad as ever. I seriously needed a tutor, and soon. I asked Mr. Burkes last Monday but he hadn't gotten around to asking someone.

My stomach twisted nervously at the thought of that someone. Edward Mazek. As terrible as it sounded I was hoping he would refuse. Mr. Burkes assured me he was the best student he could possibly get to tutor me, I agreed, I had seen his scores on the bulletin boards in the front hall. Mr. Burkes also always announces his highest score to the class. I wanted him to refuse because it would put me in an awkward position to have him in my house.

My parents love me but they wouldn't allow me to be involved with any one like Edward. Even if he were only tutoring me. My father said he will probably end up like his father. My mother said his behavior will land him in prison one day. They both agreed that he is the worst kind of kid out there, and that they've never seen him without a bottle and a cigarette. Everyone knows his background, everyone knows his name.

From what I've heard he has something of a reason for how he acts, I might have been the same if I was in his place. Edward was his fathers' compensation for his infidelity. I don't think he has to act the way he does, but I won't judge him.

I shook my head and tried to concentrate on my paper. My mind refused to focus so I gave up and put my book away. I went to the bathroom and turned on the shower. When I was done I headed downstairs to put the coffee on. I got a light breakfast and headed to school.

School was the usual torture. My mind refused to remember everything I was trying to cram in. On the way to seventh period Mr. Burked approached me in the hallway, he said Edward agreed to help me after school. I decided I should be able to keep my parents in the dark so I scrawled my info on a scrap of paper and handed it over.

"Tell him to call if he can't make it today." I told him before walking away. At the end of the school day I decided I needed caffeine so I drove through a Dunkin Donuts for a French Vanilla Cappuccino. When I turned onto my street I saw an unfamiliar car in my driveway. It was an expensive car I knew that much. It was a 2003 Spyder Eclipse, a shiny black car. I wondered briefly who it was but then I knew. Edward. Then I wondered why his father would get him such a nice car. I knew his dad was rich, big-time lawyers usually were. I pushed my unruly thoughts away as I pulled into the drive. I parked in my usual spot which happened to be next to the glossy black car. I looked over and saw he was still in there, arm out the window with a cigarette between his first and middle fingers.

I pulled my keys out and opened my door. I decided that if he wanted to start immediately he could follow me. It wasn't a social visit; it wasn't like he was a friend. I headed up the few stairs to the front door and heard his car door open then shut. I stopped before I unlocked the front door, and turned around. Even a few feet away I still had to look up, he must be six feet tall maybe a little more.

"I really appreciate your help." I said uncertainly. To put it simply, Edward was gorgeous. He had pale, flawless skin and straight dark brown hair. Even messed up, his hair looked good. He had the most beautiful green eyes I've ever seen. His facial features were perfect, a straight nose, high cheek bones and a strong, square jaw. Even with purple bruise-like shadows under his bloodshot eyes, he was beautiful. He was also obviously hung-over, and I felt a little guilty but I brushed the feeling away. He agreed to this.

He shrugged and just said "Sure." like he had nothing better to do. But I reminded myself, he probably didn't, as I unlocked the front door and let myself in. I didn't want to make Edward uncomfortable by going upstairs in my room to use the desk so I decided to use the dining room table. I pulled out a chair and set my book down. While I was opening my book I saw him run a hand through his hair and rub at his eyes. When I had my stuff all set he peeked at the book.

"What is it exactly that you're having trouble with?" He asked curiously, like he had no trouble with it. He probably didn't. I got a little irritated at his tone. I sat back with a huff and folded my arms across my chest.

"All of it. Everything!" I said scowling at the book. I pushed my hair away from my face and sighed heavily. The corners of his mouth twitched with the effort it took not to laugh.

"Calm down. I can re-teach all this to you as long as you pay attention. I don't want to waste either of our time." He sat forward in his seat and began explaining in good detail what should be done and why. He helped me understand by demonstrating each type of problem, even explaining why it was best to use certain formulas. He even gave me shortcuts. To my great amazement I understood most of what he was saying.

I glanced at the clock above the black hutch. 5:30! We'd been there nearly three hours! I panicked, I couldn't help it. I tried to calm myself before I spoke.

"Crap! My parent's will be home soon…And I don't want to keep you too long." I tacked on the last bit. I spoke evenly enough but when I looked at his face I knew he saw through me.

"No, you mean your parent's won't approve of me being here." He said leaning back in his chair. I thought it foolish to try to lie so I nodded.

"Yes, but I don't understand why. I mean, _I_ don't have a problem with you." I said looking down at my hands in my lap. As soon as I spoke I wished I could take it back. I looked back at his face and saw his expression was now outright angry.

"You don't know? That's hard to believe." He said hotly. I sighed and looked back at my hands.

"I heard some things. But I don't think anyone has a good reason to have a problem with you." Biting my tongue I wished I'd just shut up when I had had the chance. He laughed bitterly.

"I'd love to stay and chat about why people hate me but I have a headache and I'd rather not get my dad sued. I'm in enough trouble already for getting drunk last night." Standing up he ran a hand through his hair again. He rolled his shoulders and walked toward the door. He turned back in the doorway and half smiled.

"I'll come back tomorrow if you think it'll be safe. Catch me in the hallway or something if you don't want me here." With that he turned and walked out. I heard the front door open and close. I didn't hear his car start but I knew that he was gone. I was glad I hadn't made him too angry, that could've been bad. I decided to just let him come tomorrow. I still needed help after all.

**I decided to just throw up chapter 2. I still probably won't get any reviews but I don't care, the story is boring and I know it. Thanks for reading!**

**(Every other chapter is in Edward's POV ex. Chapter 3: Edward. Chapter 4: Abigail)**


	3. Chapter 3: Edward

Chapter 3: Edward

Chapter 3: Edward

I closed my car door with a little extra force. I started my car and carefully backed out of Abigail's driveway. _I need some kind of hobby_, I thought as I drove into town. I couldn't believe I actually agreed to tutor someone. I should've known that no one's parents would approve of Mazek's kid being in their home. Most people won't believe their kids are bad because they see 'bad' as one thing. Me, Edward Mazek.

A drink, that's what I needed. I made a sharp right turn upon making my decision. I wouldn't get drunk; I'd just have something to get me through the rest of today without biting everyone's head off. No matter how much I wanted to. I pulled onto the shoulder of the road in front of Freddie's. I'm only seventeen but Freddie's sells to everyone, even minors. And for some bizarre reason they get away with it.

I got out and went into the small liquor store. I looked for a small bottle of vodka and decided to just get whatever I saw first. I grabbed the whiskey and paid for it. Then I went back outside and got into my small black car. It was a nice day, sunny with a cool breeze, a good day to sit in the park. Instead of staying in front of Freddie's where my dad was sure to come sooner or later, I headed for the park. I got out and lit a cigarette. I spent the rest of the day walking in the park and drinking my whiskey, thinking.

Mostly I thought of my little stay at Miss Watson's house. At first it seemed like she was one person who wouldn't remind me of how terribly screwed up my life was. But as it turned out, her parents also dislike me. I figured that out when she panicked over the time. Obviously it had been a good idea to get out of there. I thought of how Mr. Burkes said she was struggling, man, was he right. She couldn't do much of anything that was taught so far. I felt bad because obviously she was trying her hardest, but it wasn't good enough. Her parent's would probably sue the school if she failed. Her parent's were the sort who doesn't believe that their child is less than perfect and innocent.

I laughed out loud at how people are so blind to what goes on around them. When it was getting dark, I headed back to my car; I tossed the half-empty bottle into the glove box. I'd finish it tomorrow or something. When I got home my step-mother wasn't there but good old Dad was sitting in the large den like a lion waiting to pounce on me.

"Where have you been?" He said quietly. He seemed calm enough but that could often be deceiving.

"I was at the park." I said shortly, I was still sore from this morning. In fact the headache was back again.

"All day after school? Or during school too?" Still calm, I didn't fall for it. He would probably start shouting any minute.

"Just after school, where's Debby?" I asked trying to cover the target. But he wasn't to be shaken.

"She's at a meeting. I don't want to hear of you drinking like that again, I found seven bottles in your room." He said. Now it was my turn to be angry. He went into my room after I left. I crossed my arms over my chest and straightened my back.

"You won't." I almost snarled. "I don't want to hear of you going in my room like that again." He must've caught my meaning, I meant he wouldn't hear of me drinking like that, I would just be more careful. He turned a little red around the face.

"I'll do whatever I want to do in my house. If you don't watch it you won't be in my house much longer." He said rising to his feet, I didn't flinch. He wouldn't throw me out and risk any more of his reputation. I dropped my arms and shrugged.

"Whatever." I turned and took the stairs two at a time leaving him in the den. I closed the door to my room and went into the bathroom for another shower. When I got out I didn't bother putting a shirt on. I went to my bed and threw myself down. Belatedly remembering my clock wasn't plugged in I sat up and reset it. I set the alarm and lay back down. I stared at the ceiling and continued my deep thinking.

Yes, I would continue tutoring this Abigail. As long as she needs me, unless she tells me to stay away, that is. I wished I hadn't been so angry with her earlier. Really, I hadn't meant to be like that, it was the hangover talking. I'd been suffering a bad headache and I couldn't stand to think about everything she brought to my mind. I fell asleep thinking about tomorrow and this Abigail Watson, who was terrible at trigonometry.

I awoke once again to the loud buzzing of my alarm, only today it didn't kill my poor head. I groped for the 'off'' button actually planning to get up. Once I had the stupid thing silenced, I stretched my legs and back. After my morning rituals were finished I headed out into the cool sunny day. I put on my sunglasses and got into my car, deciding to once again grab coffee before arriving at school. I got out of my car and leaned against the side of the warm steel.

While waiting for the first bell to ring I was approached by none other than Abigail Watson, who had just arrived. I felt a strange pang of fear but before I could wonder what it was for, she was standing in front of me. She was a pretty little thing. Well, little to me, she was only five foot three at the most. She had medium brown hair that reached the middle of her back, and very dark brown eyes that were almost black. She wore no makeup other than a little eyeliner and she really didn't need any. She looked fine without it. She cleared her throat and I roused myself, I had been staring and she had noticed. She didn't say anything so I made a decision to break the awkward silence.

"Let me guess. 'Keep yourself away from my house unless you want shot.'?" I asked with no expression on my face or in my voice. She smiled a little and I didn't know if that was good or not. I took a sip of my coffee to avoid looking into her entrancing eyes.

"No actually, I just wanted to tell you sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to offend you. But I really do need help and my parent's don't need to know." She said catching my attention, I lowered my coffee cup and scanned her face. If she wanted to be the one sorry for yesterday, I wouldn't stop her. But I felt a little guilty thinking that. I pushed the thoughts away and nodding letting her know I accept the apology.

"Same time?" I asked before draining the rest of my mocha latté. She looked at me carefully for a minute. As if gauging my reaction, she probably expected me to be joking, or mad. At last she nodded, at that time the bell rang and I tossed my empty Styrofoam cup into a bin. I headed into the school and noticed she was beside me until she headed to her non-honors classes.

By the end of the day I was anxious to get to her house, I told myself I was just eager to help. I walked slowly to my car, determined not to make her think I had nothing else I'd rather do, even if it were true. I drove slower than usual and even stopped to get another coffee. By the time I got to her house she was already there, parked in the same place she was yesterday. I parked next to her small white car and cut the engine. I put my cigarette out and got out of the car.

I walked up the few stairs to her large house, and rang the bell. She must've been changing or something because it took her a while to get to the door. I had almost decided to lean on the bell when the door opened to reveal the small frame of Abigail.

"Your savior has arrived, Abigail." I said bowing mockingly. I don't know what came over me; I don't remember consciously making a decision to be mocking. I could tell it irritated her, and when I felt a smile spread on my face, I knew that's why I did it.

"It's Abby." She said while opening the door wider to allow me to step inside. I did so taking my time to actually look around today. Her parents must have been well off because they had a house almost as large and fancy as my fathers'. I followed her to the dining room where we had been yesterday and waited patiently as she set up her arrangement of notebooks and pencils. She opened her book and pointed to where she was having trouble.

I began explaining everything in even greater detail than I had yesterday. My method was simple; first I took one of her neatly lined pencils and demonstrated exactly what should be done, while explaining what I was doing. Then I took one of the homework problems and told her to do it by herself, first guiding her through, and then I took another problem and told her to do it by herself without my help. When she got it wrong I would point out what she did wrong and then re-do the problem for her.

She was improving and she got excited, but when that happened she made more mistakes. I told her to calm down and go slower. All the sudden, she decided to make small talk.

"You look better than you did yesterday." She said in a conversational tone, as if she were merely commenting on the news. I looked at her curiously, and my earlier guilt got the better of me.

"I'm sorry about snapping at you. I had a hangover and I couldn't help it." I said trying to get her back to work. She shrugged and started another problem.

"I've never gotten drunk; I don't know what's so appealing about it anyways." She said carefully calculating her current problem. I looked at her curiously. _Yes_, I thought, _definitely innocent_. I was willing to bet she had never smoked either.

"It numbs you." I said simply, shrugging. I looked at the book, my brow furrowing. Come to think of it, I never really thought of why I got drunk. Mostly I did it just because it was there and I was bored. Plus, the buzz was pleasant most of the time.

"Sure, if you don't like thinking straight and having a healthy liver." Abby said scoffing almost. I couldn't help it, I laughed. She looked at me sharply. "What?"

"Nothing. You sounded like a health teacher that's all." I said still chuckling. "Next, you'll be telling me it's illegal."

Her eyebrows pulled together into a worried line. She thought for a minute before turning her face away. Looking at the book she mumbled something.

"Actually I was." At that I couldn't help laughing some more. It had been a while before I'd laughed that often, and it felt good. "Well it is! And you shouldn't drink so much."

"Hey, this really isn't your concern. I'm here to help you. Not the other way around." I said jokingly. We continued the session without further discussion about my habits.

Everyday after school was the same, I would go to her house and we would study the material together. I fine tuned my already-neat skills in the material. When it came to Friday I asked if she wanted to get together tomorrow so she didn't get to rusty.

"I don't know. I don't like using my car if I don't have to. But I really don't want to get bad again." Abby said thinking deeply. I thought for a second and then voiced my own idea.

"I can pick you up and we'll go to the library or something. It's a Saturday and no one will be there. It'll be quiet." I said hesitantly. I didn't want her to think I was asking her on a date or anything. It's not that she wasn't pretty or anything, but I don't date mostly because of the fact that everyone avoided me.

"My parents will be home, they'll play twenty questions about who picked me up and where I went." She said her brow furrowing in thought. She was struck with an idea and a smile spread across her face. Momentarily I was stunned; she really was pretty when she smiled like that.

"You can pick me up around the corner, they won't see you there. It'll be like in those romances the two lovers sneak out together." She said still smiling brilliantly. Even though I wasn't entirely comfortable with the words she used, I couldn't deny I felt a thrill of delight that shot through me. I simply couldn't help grinning back.

With that we agreed to meet halfway down and around the next corner. Saturday I had to remind myself a dozen times I wasn't going on a date, that there was no need to do anything special. So I threw on my dark sunglasses and left around noon to go wait for her where we agreed. Once I got there I killed the engine and only had to wait a few moments before I spotted her turning the corner. She was wearing a pair of snug-fitting jeans and a black silk blouse. Her hair was tossed into a messy ponytail as if making sure she didn't look too nice. She also had on dark sunglasses. She had her books propped on her right hip and her purse on her left shoulder.

I resisted the urge to get out and open the passenger door for her, but I did put out my cigarette. It was a warm day outside so the top to my car was down. She went around to the passenger side and opened the door. Carefully, she climbed into the low car. She set her books down on her lap and pulled her rubber band tighter around her hair. Then, as she snapped her seat belt into place she looked over at me, noticing that I was staring.

"Is something wrong?" She asked relaxing into the tan leather of the seat. I shook my head and started the engine.

"Where would you like to go?" I asked not moving the car yet. Myself, I could use caffeine but I'd leave that up to her. She thought a minute and then seemed to decide.

"We can go to a café or something first, get some lunch and then go to the library." She glanced at me and then continued hastily. "Unless that makes you uncomfortable, of course, if it's too much like a date."

I laughed quietly. "No, don't worry, I didn't eat this morning. We can go eat first." I put the car in gear and started toward the café near the library. While I was driving, Abby ran her hands over the smooth leather of my seats.

"This is a really nice car. My parents wouldn't ever get me this nice of a car. They would make me pay for it myself." She laughed, I laughed too, but a little awkwardly.

"My dad got it for me when I turned sixteen. I guess he hoped I'd be good if he got me whatever car I wanted." I said to make conversation. "And I _was _good for a while. I love this car, it's just about the only friend I have." I shut my mouth before I could say anything else. Abby didn't seem to notice and I was grateful. I drove swiftly around town taking shortcuts down side roads to get to our destination. The wind tossed our hair making hers' messier but not really affecting mine. Mine was always messy.

I turned into the parking lot and parked further away from the doors. Avoiding other cars in lots was a habit and I felt a little bad about making Abby walk further.

"Just put your books in the glove box. If I put the top up, it'll get hot in here." I reached over and opened the compartment. A whiskey bottle tumbled out into my hand. I hastily stuffed it under my seat glancing at Abby. She had a slight frown on her face, but she obediently put her books in the now-roomy compartment. I shut the glove box and opened my door.

We walked to the door of the little café and I held the door open for her without thinking. The little shop was a bit busy, so Abby told me what she wanted and tried to give me money for her order but I sent her to find a table without accepting the money. I paid for our food and searched the crowded eating area for Abby. I spotted her and headed to the table she was sitting at. As I neared her table I noticed two other girls sitting with her, chatting.

I groaned inwardly when I recognized the two sixteen year olds. Becky Sanford and Kara Paralle were two of the most active gossipers in the entire school. I cursed the rotten luck and headed to the table. I briefly considered waiting for them to leave but decided against it. It would probably be a while before they left and I was hungry.

I carried our food the rest of the way to where Abby and her guests were sitting. As I set the food down on the table, Abby looked up at me apologetically. I sat down at the last available chair as Becky and Kara gaped at me. Ignoring them, I started to eat my bagel. They eventually collected themselves enough to as questions.

"What are you two doing here?" Kara asked still gaping. Obviously she meant what we were doing there together but I decided to play dumb. I cleared my mouth before answering.

"Eating." I said and then continued doing so; now smirking a little. Abby wasn't being helpful in the situation, probably worrying about how her parents may find out. She sat there picking at her sandwich silently. This time, Becky took a shot.

"We can see that. Are you guys together? How long has that been going on?" She was practically bouncing in her seat as she waited for new gossip. I gave Abby time to respond but when she didn't, I answered.

"We're not." Kara and Becky glanced at each other smirking. I sighed and continued eating.

"Sure you're not. Well, we'd love to stay and chat but we've got places to go and calls to make. We'll see you in school Abby, and uh, Edward." Becky said standing up. We watched them leave in silence, once the door swung shut again we both groaned. Abby put down her sandwich and sat back in her chair.

"Great, by Monday the whole school will think we're together." She said sipping her cappuccino. I tried not to be hurt by the comment. I glanced at her debating what to say next.

"If we're lucky that's all they'll think." I said picking up the second half of my bagel. Abby looked at me, her brow puckered in confusion.

"Most likely those two will go around saying they spotted us together but they won't say anything about a café. They'll say you were on my lap and we were making out at the movies or in my car or something." I continued eating. She groaned again and this time I pretended to be hurt.

"Is it really that bad? Would it really kill you if people said you were seen kissing me?" I asked, pouting a little. Abby looked away from my face, but not before I could see the blush that stained her cheeks. That was all the answer I needed. Yes, she wanted to kiss me. I tried to pretend a thrill of happiness didn't rush through me. She answered anyway.

"No, not that bad. But my parents would have something colorful to say about it." She whispered. I grinned and finished off my bagel. I brushed off my hands and finished my coffee. Abby turned back to me and saw I was grinning.

"I bet it wouldn't bother you if people thought that. I mean people gossip about you all the time and you don't seem to mind." She said, watching me. The smile was wiped clear off my face.

"No, I don't mind what people say or think about me. In fact I couldn't care less." I said almost angrily. Abby smiled a little and shook her head.

"I think in bothers you more than you even know. Why not prove them wrong? They wouldn't think of you so badly if you didn't drink and smoke as much as you do. If you cared a little more." She picked up her sandwich and took a bite, giving me time to think of something to say.

"It wouldn't matter what I did. Didn't you hear my story? People will still say 'like father like son'." I said, trying to screen emotion from my voice. She cleared her throat before replying.

"No, they'll say 'why couldn't his father be like that?' You could do it if you really wanted to. Just quit drinking, show up at school more than once every few days. Make friends, get a steady girlfriend, just be your own person." She then went back to her sandwich while I tried not to explode.

"That'd be great. Except no one wants to be friends with a kid who their parents wont approve. No girl would go out with me because their fathers would murder them if they did." I said trying to stay calm.

Most of what I said was true, except I would be able to make friends; the only problem is I was mostly a loner. I could get a girlfriend if I tried but I don't go for the bad girl type. Abby nodded slowly, as if scared to agree.

"Maybe. But I think you should still try. You never know, maybe people will change their minds." She said finishing her sandwich. I shook my head.

"Do you still want to go to the library? You're parents might get wind of our lunch trip." I said, gathering my trash together.

"Yes, I really don't care about what my parents think right now." She said, also gathering her trash. I looked at her, surprised.

I took our trash to the garbage bins and we left the little shop. Once we were at the car without thinking I went to the passenger side and opened the door for her. She looked at me, puzzled. I shrugged and she climbed into the convertible. I walked around the nose to the drivers' side and got in. The Eclipse started with a low purr. I put it in gear and carefully maneuvered the car out of the parking lot. I made a left and we arrived at the library in only a few minutes. Once again, I parked away from all the other cars. This time I apologized out loud.

"Sorry about the long walk, I prefer to keep my car away from where everyone else parks." I said getting out and pocketing the keys. She didn't reply and we went inside. There weren't any incidents for the rest of the afternoon. I dropped her off at the corner and went home. On the way, I thought about everything she said to me.


	4. Chapter 4: Abigail

Chapter 4: Abigail

Chapter 4: Abigail

As I walked to my front door I thought about everything that had happened since we left earlier. I remembered when he opened the glove box, the whiskey bottle rolled out. He had tried to shove it away in the hopes that I would forget about it. But I didn't of course. Somehow I'd made a decision to help him. And now that that decision was made I knew I wouldn't give up. I only hoped he would cooperate.

We didn't make plans to study on Sunday so I figured I'd wait until Monday to offer my help. I wasn't exactly looking forward to school; I knew I'd be bombarded with questions. And as much as I wished Edward wasn't right, I knew people would think we were spotted making out or something similar. Nonetheless I got up Monday morning and got ready for school.

I pulled into the parking lot a little early and decided to wait at my car until the bell rang. I got out and went around to lean on the hood. As I waited a few more cars pulled into the parking lot. One I recognized, a sleek black convertible. He pulled in and parked away from where the majority of the cars were parked. He got out and leaned against his hood as well. I felt a pang of envy when I saw he had coffee, I had forgotten to stop and get some. I found an excuse to go talk to him and started over. We wouldn't be bothered, most everyone was already at school and no one would interrupt. He watched me approach without a word.

"I just wanted to ask you what I should say to people today. You know, when they as why we were together." I said hesitantly as I stood in front of him. He took off his sunglasses and hooked them to the front of his shirt.

"Listen to what they heard first and then say whatever the hell you want. I'll go along with it, I promise." He said smirking. _No way_, I thought, _He's making this way too easy._

"Even if I were to say that I'm helping you quit drinking and making you into a better person?" I asked, now smirking. His smirk was wiped off momentarily. Then he regained his composure and smiled easily.

"How would you be helping me by making out with me?" He asked. My mouth hung open and my breath left in a whoosh. He laughed at my expression. When he stopped he continued.

"We have to assume the worst, remember? But if you can't tell them I'm tutoring you, fine, tell them whatever you want. Besides, it's not like anyone is going to ask me anyways." He said chuckling a little. He was in good humor that was for sure.

"Okay, I'll figure out something to say. Are you coming today?" I asked, shifting my books in my arms. He only nodded as the bell rang.

As Edward predicted, the rumors weren't of us having lunch. When I arrived in first period my best friend, Jen, asked why I didn't tell her I was with Edward.

"So how long have you two been together?" She asked in the few minutes before class started. I sighed and asked a question of my own.

"What did you hear Jen?" I put my books on my desk and arranged them neatly.

"Well, Ashley said you guys were seen together all day Saturday. She also said you guys were like, making out at the library." She said smirking. I sighed. Well, Edward was right about half of it. I didn't think anyone saw us at the library though.

"Okay, Jen, here's what happened, I needed help on some trig homework and Edward helped me out. We did not so much as touch the whole time." I said, but I could tell she didn't really believe it. She nodded though and class began.

All day questions were tossed at me, mostly they were girls who either couldn't believe I was 'with' Edward or they were envious because he was 'hot'. Some people just yelled 'Congratulations Abby!' in the hallway. By the end of the day I had given up trying to explain why I was with him. I almost just yelled 'Yes! I made out with him! We went to the movies afterward and then we went to the park!' When school was out I gratefully got into my car and drove home.

Edward wasn't there when I got there, but that wasn't anything new. He usually got there after me anyways. So I went inside and freshened up. I was lying on my bed when the doorbell rang. Springing up, I ran downstairs and opened the door to reveal… Jen and Ashley. My heart leaped into action as I realized that Edward would show up soon and two of my friends were going to be here.

"Uh, Hi guys! What are you doing here?" I said, trying to sound bright and happy.

"We just wanted to come talk to you! It's been weeks since we did anything." Ashley said smiling. I opened the door wider for them to step inside and led them upstairs to my room. They flung themselves on my bed and looked at me expectantly.

"Um, what did you guys want to do?" I asked, though I could guess. They wanted an explanation about Saturday.

"We'd like to talk. We want to know what was going on Saturday, with details please." Before she finished the doorbell sounded a second time. I jumped up from my desk chair and started towards my bedroom door.

"I'd better get that. I'll be right back." I said before disappearing into the hallway and down the stairs again. Of course, it was Edward. I opened the door and he peered inside the house warily.

"Who's here?" He whispered, nodding his head towards the yellow car in the driveway behind my car.

"Ashley and Jen are upstairs in my room; they want to know what went on Saturday. Help?" I said desperately. He smiled a little and shook his head.

"What do you want me to do?" He asked, stepping inside when I opened the door wider to let him in.

"Come upstairs and help me explain there is nothing between us." I begged taking his hand and trying to drag him up the stairs. He pulled his hand out of my grip but followed me up the stairs. When I got to my room, I touched the knob hesitantly but Edward just pushed the door open. I went into the room first with Edward behind me. Jen and Ashley gasped when they saw who was behind me. I went and sat in my desk chair while Edward closed the door behind him.

"Hello girls." He said smiling. When they didn't say anything he continued. "What brings you here?" Jen found her voice first. She laughed.

"We could ask you the same thing. What are you doing here?" She asked, serious again. Edward thought a minute before replying.

"Funny thing about that. Abby here is my rehab coach. Yeah, she's helping me quit drinking." He said, also serious. My mouth dropped open, and he glanced at me out of the corner of his eyes. In that look he said 'Close your mouth, say something.'

"Yeah, and in return Edward is helping me with trigonometry." I said, nodding. "So he's here to tutor me. After school everyday." They looked between the two of us.

"But someone saw you two at the library, they said you were kissing." Ashley said smirking. Edward surprised me by laughing.

"That didn't happen." He said, still chuckling. I laughed too at their disappointed expressions. "Now, if you'll excuse us, she needs to work on her trig homework."

"You guys can stay if you want but I'll be working. You wanted to do something, we can do homework." I said smiling. I laid out my books on my desk as I spoke. Edward pulled the chair from the corner over to the desk and sat down.

Ashley and Jen decided to leave since they didn't bring their books with them, which suited me just fine. I wanted a chance to talk to Edward alone. Once the time neared four o'clock I decided to question him.

"So, why'd you say I was your rehab coach?" I asked finishing the problem I was working on. He didn't laugh and say he said the first thing that came to his mind. He was very serious when he answered.

"I was thinking and I decided you're right. I should try to prove everyone wrong. So I made up my mind to try to quit drinking." He said, carefully watching my progress. "I hate asking for help but I don't think I can do this on my own. So would you maybe consider helping me?"

I looked up at his face. He wasn't looking at me but at my paper. I grinned with triumph.

"Of course I'll help. But you'll have to listen to everything I say and no sass." He looked relieved and nodded vigorously.

"But right now, you only have one more problem on your homework. So I suggest you finish that and then we'll talk about my issue." He said nodding at my paper.

I was so happy he was accepting my help; I messed up the problem and got it totally wrong. Edward fixed it and explained everything I did wrong. After that I stacked my books in a neat pile and took a pen and a notebook from one of the desk drawers. I opened the notebook to a clean page and passed it across the desk to Edward.

"Write down what you usually drink and when. I'll be back in a minute." I said. Without giving him a chance to say anything, I left the room. I crossed the hall to the bathroom. I sat on the edge of the tub thinking for a bit, when a few minutes passed I decided I should go back and see what he wrote down.

When I entered the room he looked over his shoulder for a second before scribbling something down on the paper. I went over to the desk and picked up the notebook. I read:

I drink whatever I see first in the liquor store, mostly Vodka and whiskey, sometimes bourbon. I drink whenever I feel like I need it. Which is most of the time; lately I haven't been drinking as much.

I sat down and re-read the little note. When I finished I noticed Edward was watching me, probably analyzing my reaction. I thought for a second before looking back at him.

"I'll have to do some research tonight, I'm not a professional. But from what I see I'll have to be with you most of the time, you know, to make sure you aren't sneaking drinks." I stood up again and left the room, with Edward following.

I opened the front door before he said anything.

"Where are you going?" He asked, following me outside. When I crossed to his car I opened the unlocked drivers' door. I reached under the seat and sure enough, the half full bottle of whiskey was there. I turned around to see him staring at me.

"Get rid of this." I said, handing it to him. "Without drinking it." I added. He nodded solemnly, without another word he turned and walked back into the house with the bottle.

I followed him, confused. He went into the house and found the kitchen. Once there he opened the bottle and poured the liquid into the sink. He then proceeded to rinse the sink out. After he was done he turned around and looked at me.

"What should I do with the bottle?" He asked. I thought for a minute and decided.

"We should throw it in the trashcans outside. I don't want my parents getting the wrong idea; I'm the one that takes the trash out anyways. They won't see it that way." I explained.

I took the bottle from him and went down the hallway to the back door. After tossing the bottle, I returned to the house and led Edward back upstairs to my room. Once there I sat back down in my chair. Edward followed suit, sitting in the other chair turning it toward me.

"Is there any more in your car?" I asked, pulling my knees up in front of me. He thought for a minute.

"No, I can't even think of why that one was in there. Usually my car is spotless." He replied, folding his arms over his chest. I smiled.

"I can see why, your car is so nice I'd keep it clean too." I laughed. He smiled and remembered what I said earlier.

"You said we'd have to be together a lot? What did you mean?" He asked cautiously.

"I just meant after school I'd have to make sure you don't get a drink or anything. We'll continue tutoring and then maybe afterwards we'll do something. That way I can keep an eye on you." I explained. His smile transformed into a smirk.

"You do realize this will start a whole new round of gossip don't you?"

"Yes, unless it bothers you I don't really care anymore. Let them think what they want." I laughed, though I was searching his expression. He laughed as well.

"No I don't really care; it was you I was worried about. I thought you hated me for some reason." He looked at the clock over the desk and then back at me. "Is this all starting tomorrow or what?" In his face I could see he was scared about it, though he was trying to hide it.

"No, we can start tomorrow, just don't get drunk tonight. You can have a farewell drink but if you have any kind of hangover tomorrow you'll have to pay for it." I said, "Ooh! I know, every time you have a drink from tomorrow on, you'll have to put money in a tin can. The amount depends on how much you drank and how strong it is." He laughed but agreed.

"The tin can will have to stay with you, so I won't use to money to go buy a drink. Well, I better go now. My dad will be home early today and I have to work at five." He said standing up. I walked him downstairs and watched him drive away in the glossy black car.

At six my parents returned home from work as usual. When we all sat down to dinner, a conversation arose that I had been dreading since Edward and I were spotted.

"Guess what I heard at work today, Hun." My father said to my mother. My mother looked up from the steak she was cutting. "What, dear?"

"I heard that Abigail Watson was seen this weekend with a boy called Edward Mazek." He said glaring at me. I kept my eyes trained on my plate. My mother gasped and stared at me also.

"Abby! Is that true?" She asked, still gaping. I looked up and smiled brilliantly.

"Yes, he was tutoring me in trigonometry." I said looking at my father now. His expression was angry.

"Tutoring you by physical contact?" He asked incredulously. That was his was of saying 'making out'. I almost laughed.

"No, we didn't even touch. At all. Someone saw us at the library and passed on the news. It somehow got all mixed up and now people are saying we were kissing. You know how rumors spread and gossip expands." I said looking at the two of them. "Besides I'm helping him quit his drinking."

My mother was still staring in astonishment, but my dad needed the persuading.

"He's bad news. I don't want you near him." He said hotly. I sighed.

"Sorry dad. I promised to help him, besides he is the only reason I'm passing trig now." I pleaded. He shook his head and continued eating. I knew the real storm was over so I started eating again. After dinner, my dad pushed his chair back.

"I don't want to hear any more gossip about you and him, young lady." He said before leaving the dining room. I finished the dishes and went up to bed early. I crossed off the day on the calendar. May 19. Only a few more weeks and school would be out. I just had to hang on in my classes and I'd pass the year. I set my alarm and changed my clothes. After snuggling down in my bed I thought of my new assignment.

I was happy Edward was actually letting me help him. I only hoped he wouldn't regret asking me for help. It took a while but when I finally fell asleep I was wondering if he had gotten drunk or if he only got a small drink, like I had asked. I slept soundly that night, without dreams.

**There it is. A new chapter. I know no one is really reading this but I enjoy proofreading my own story. If there **_**is**_** someone reading this; PLEASE review, even if it just says 'Keep going' or 'I'm reading'. I have about three and a half more chapters already written. They're long too. ******** Thanks for reading, (If anyone is)**


	5. Chapter 5: Edward

Chapter 5: Edward

Chapter 5: Edward

I did as she'd asked; I only had a small drink. Just one can of beer. It was supposed to rain in the night so when I parked in the garage, I put the top up on my car. I ran inside and got dressed for work. I worked at a fancy restaurant, only because my dad pulled some strings and got me in. It was a good job with a nice pay, even though all I did was wait on tables, the rich people left good tips. I worked until eleven and when I got home I grabbed a beer from the fridge and went to the garage and waxed my car. When I was done, I took a shower and crawled in bed.

I woke up to my alarm clock as usual and listened to see if it was raining. Sure enough, I could hear the patter of rain on the window. I got dressed for school in a daze, I was thinking about how I would have to give up drinking. There would be no comfort drink today if something upset me. When I arrived at school it was still raining, so I sat in my car waiting for the bell to ring. A knock on the passenger side window jolted me from my thoughts. I looked over to see Abby with an umbrella over her head. I unlocked the door and she climbed into the Eclipse. Once she was settled she handed me a folded piece of paper.

"I wrote down some guidelines for you. You know rules and stuff." She said smiling. I opened the paper and read:

Rules

No drinking. At all. 

If you have any drink you will pay for it. The money goes to me. There are prices for certain drinks, if you have more than one of any the price doubles. (Ex. Two drinks of Vodka 50.00) If you go over a certain amount I will not help you anymore and I will keep your money.

Vodka- 25.00

Bourbon- 20.00

Whiskey- 30.00

Everything else- 15.00

If you have more than three drinks of anything, I quit.

I grinned as I read the single rule. I turned to her, folding the paper. I pocketed the sheet.

"Not too complicated then. That's good. So what's on the agenda for today? Tutoring after school?" I asked. She looked outside for a second.

"Yes, then afterwards we'll go somewhere. Wherever you want. You're driving." She said, still looking out the window.

"I'm not going to let you walk down the street if it's raining." I said, my eyebrows pulling together.

"I wasn't planning on it. My parents already heard about us being together on Saturday. You can drop me off in the driveway like a normal person. I don't care anymore." She said smiling. I grinned back. After that we just sat there in a comfortable silence until the bell rang. We got out and made a run for the building, forgetting about the umbrella. When we remembered the umbrella we laughed and kept running.

The rest of the school day was its usual monotony. Mr. Burkes commented on how well Abby was doing. He said she was turning in all the assignments and she passed the quiz on Friday. I smiled, feeling good at success. It rained throughout the school day, but I didn't mind.

I drove over to Abby's after school just like every other day. When I got there, the bright yellow Sunfire was in the driveway again, behind Abby's white Mustang. I sighed, her friends were the type to gossip and I didn't feel like putting up with them today. I got out and jogged to the porch. I rang the bell and ran my hand through my hair as I waited for Abby to answer the door.

When she came to the door she looked agitated like she had yesterday. I smiled to let her know I understood. She let me in and led me upstairs again. In her room her friends were sprawled on the floor with working materials in front of them. They looked up as I entered the room.

"Study Party!" They yelled at the same time. "Abby _did _invite us yesterday." Ashley said. I sighed and went over to the desk. I sat down in the same chair I had the day before. No chance to talk to Abby alone today, at least until they left. They weren't the type to really care about homework.

Abby and I started on the first problem before Jen interrupted.

"Edward! I need help." She said; when I looked at her she smiled. I sighed and kneeled next to her. I explained the first problem slowly and watched as she did it. The second she got the right answer I stood up and went back to Abby. She had managed to complete the first two problems.

"Edward, I need help." This time it was Ashley. I got up again and kneeled next to the small blond girl. When I finished helping her Jen was having 'problems' again. After I finished with them, I stood up and went back to the desk. Before I sat down Jen said something.

"Stupid problems. Edward, I need help again." I sighed and stood up again. _At least I'm getting exercise, _I thought as I kneeled next to Jen again.

"I may as well sit in the middle of the bed with you three around me. My knees can't take much more." I mumbled as I stood up again. When I turned and headed towards the desk I heard a low whistle. It was then I knew they were faking problems so they could look at my butt when I walked away. My cheeks burned with embarrassment, and I changed my course.

"I'll be back." I said over my shoulder as I headed to the bathroom. I closed the bathroom door behind me and leaned against it. Girls could be scary sometimes. I left the bathroom once my cheeks were white again. I put my ear to the door of Abby's bedroom when I heard her saying something to her friends.

"-Just stop it okay? You know you don't need help and you know you guys don't care. If either of you ask him for help again you're leaving." That was Abby.

"What if we really need it?" I couldn't tell who that one was; they sounded alike.

"I don't care, just leave him alone. I can't believe you guys would even be that low." Abby said.

"But he has a nice ass. Haven't you looked, Abby?" That must've been Jen. Abby gasped. "That's it, you need to leave." She said. I heard footsteps coming toward the door and tried to move away but I was too slow. Abby flung open the door and I stuffed my hands into my pockets. Abby looked mortified so I didn't say anything. Jen and Ashley, with books in hand, filed out of the room and downstairs.

"Bye!" They called up the stairs; I heard the front door open and shut. I looked at Abby guiltily.

"How much of that did you hear?" She asked squeezing her eyes shut, then opening them and looking at me. I smiled a little.

"Just the part about my nice ass." I said. She groaned and went back into the room while I followed.

"I'm sorry about them. They won't bother us like that again. If they do, just tell me." She said, sitting back down in her chair.

"Hey, look at it this way; at least they were only looking at my ass. It could've been worse." I said trying to make her feel better.

I laughed at her blank expression, she didn't understand and I wasn't going to elaborate. "Never mind." Was all I said. We finished her assignment around four o'clock. She stacked all of her belongings neatly before speaking.

"So, where do you want to go?" She asked standing up and stretching. I watched her before answering.

"Um, I don't know. Did you want to go eat or do something else?" I asked. She shrugged so I got up and went to the window. It had stopped raining and an idea suddenly sprang into my head. I spun around so fast Abby jumped.

"Would you mind getting muddy?" I asking smiling widely. She looked confused but shook her head.

"As long as I get to take a shower afterward." She said, I laughed at that. She started smiling a little. "Why? What are you thinking?"

"I have an idea. Get a jacket and tie your hair up. Oh, and get tennis shoes and comfortable clothes, ones you don't mind getting dirty. I'll wait downstairs while you change." With that I left the room and waited downstairs.

I only had to wait a little while, within ten minutes Abby descended the stairs wearing stained old sweats and a t-shirt. She had dirty tennis shoes in one hand and a jacket in the other. The confused expression on her face made me smile.

She sat down on a chair in the foyer and pulled on her shoes. After that she stood up and put the jacket on. I opened the front door and was already pulling my keys out of my pocket. She shut and locked the door before following me to my car.

"It's open." I said, climbing into the low car. She followed suit and buckled her seat belt. I was still smiling when I backed out of the driveway.

"You're scaring me; you haven't smiled this much in all the time I've been around you. What are we doing?" Abby laughed nervously.

"Well, first we're going to my house so I can change. You'll just have to wait until we get there to see what we're doing." I said smiling wickedly now.

It only took a few minutes to drive to my house; I was so excited I drove a little faster than normal. I pulled into the garage and parked. I killed the engine and got out. Abby followed me into the house from the door inside the garage.

No one was home so I led her into the kitchen where I told her to stay. I ran upstairs and searched through my dresser for the appropriate clothes. I found my old sweat pants and just grabbed a sleeveless shirt. I'd done this so many times I didn't really get cold anymore. I grabbed my old sneakers and headed downstairs.

When I got into the kitchen I found Abby looking at the fridge, which only had one picture on it, my family. If you could call it a family. There was me in the middle, not smiling. My father was on my left smiling a huge phony smile. My stepmother on my right was smiling genuinely. I was taller than both my father and step-mother. I walked up behind Abby.

"That was our last Christmas picture. My step-mom was the only one who wanted to take the picture." I told her.

"Step-mom?" She asked without turning around. I was silent for only a moment.

"Yeah, my real mom was only nineteen. She died when I was born." I said, managing to keep my tone light. Abby turned around after murmuring 'sorry'. When she saw I was only wearing a sleeveless black t-shirt she frowned.

"I was under the impression we were going outside to mud wrestle or something." She said. I laughed and led her back out to the garage.

"We _are_ going outside. But we aren't mud wrestling. I'd beat you anyways." I said, laughing still.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that Edward. For all you know I could be a champion." She said teasingly.

"Well then, we'll have to do that another time. But today I have something else in mind." I said, leading her through the opposite door that led to the back garage. I flicked on the lights and turned back to face her, still smiling.

"Have you ever gone go-carting?" I asked her excitedly. She looked past me to the bright green go-cart. The tires were caked with mud from the last time I had driven it in the mud. She shook her head and smiled.

"No, but I've wanted to for a long time. This should be interesting." She said. I clicked the button that opened the large door. I began pushing the go-cart out the door into or large backyard. My dad owns a lot of land including quite a few acres of open field, which I can ride in. Abby tried to help push but I shooed her away and got it by myself. Once I had it outside I felt like screaming.

"Let's get muddy!" I shouted. She smiled but looked at my almost-bare torso pointedly.

"Aren't you going to get cold?" She asked. I just laughed.

"No, I've done this before. Sometimes I go completely shirtless with only shorts on. I would've today, but it seemed a little inappropriate since I have a girl with me." I said. "Are you ready?"

She nodded also smiling. I laughed and started the go-cart. I motioned for her to get in the passenger seat while I got in the drivers side. Snapping my seat belt, I pulled it tight. I checked Abby's seat belt and tightened hers as well. She checked her hair and nodded to me.

And we took off. At first we only went back and forth over a pretty long stretch. I didn't tell her but this was routine for me, first I loosened the mud so it would splash us better. Then, I took off at higher speeds taking sharper turns. Sometimes I just went in tight circles, spraying mud everywhere. Abby didn't seem to be getting much mud so I made more right turns and she got huge globs on her face and jacket. I laughed so hard, I had to stop which made us go into a slide. This, in turn, splashed mud on our faces.

"Your turn!" I shouted over the engine. She wiped mud away from her mouth and shook her head, laughing. I shook my head too. "Yes, come on."

I unbuckled both of our seatbelts and jumped out. I went around the other side and pulled her out. I got into the passenger seat and buckled the belt; once she was in I checked hers as well. I nodded to her and we took off again. At first she drove hesitantly but then she got daring. I didn't think she was going fast enough so I put my left foot over her right foot, and I pressed her foot into the pedal, hard. When I looked at her, she was laughing. I took my foot off hers and she continued at that speed.

When we came upon a huge mud puddle that was too large to avoid by turning, she slammed on the brakes as the front tires hit the puddle. The impact with the mud sent a spray of mud and water into our faces. We came to a stop on somewhat solid ground. I emptied my mouth of mud and sat back laughing. Abby did the same, laughing so hard she was clutching her sides.

I stopped laughing and watched her. She was incredibly beautiful sitting there, mud and hair plastered to her creamy skin. Her white teeth contrasted nicely with the dark brown mud. She turned her head to look at me, still smiling.

Her brilliant dark eyes drank me in as mine had done her. Her smile faded until it was only a slight lift of the corner of her mouth. I couldn't stop my hand from lifting to touch her face. I pulled my face closer until my mouth met hers. I closed my eyes and kissed her softly. I tasted mud but I didn't care. I completely lost track of time, it could've been hours, or minutes. Finally I ended our closed-mouth kiss, I pulled away. I opened my eyes only seconds before she opened hers.

"Sorry." I said so quietly she couldn't have heard me over the roar of the engine. I unbuckled my seatbelt and saw her do the same. I got back in and drove us back slowly to the garage. I parked in the same place the go-cart had been in earlier. There were towels on a rack in the garage so I grabbed two of those and tossed one to Abby before wiping my face. I pulled my shirt over my head and used it to wipe some mud out of my hair.

"You can use my shower; I'll find you a t-shirt and some pants. I would drive you home right now but my car… You understand." I said. "Besides your parents would have a heart attack if you showed up like that."

Abby nodded and chuckled. I took off my shoes and she followed suit. We went upstairs to my room where I dug through my dresser for some clothes that might fit Abby. I managed to find some sweatpants and a black t-shirt that said 'Dead men tell no tales' with a skull and crossbones on it. I led her through my room to the bathroom and told her where everything was.

"Just leave your clothes on the floor. I'll wash them tonight and give them back tomorrow. Use whatever soap and shampoo you want." I said, when she nodded I turned and left the bathroom. I put a towel on my dresser and pulled myself up. I scrubbed a hand through my muddy, matted hair.

I thought about the fun we had go-carting, especially the kiss. I also remembered the reason why we went go-carting, to keep my mind off drinking, Abby was just along to make sure I didn't drink. I sighed and jumped off the dresser. After I had found some more towels, I put them on my dresser and found some new clothes. I found a long-sleeved black shirt and some dark gray sweatpants. The shower turned off in the bathroom so I waited patiently for Abby to come out so I could go in. Abby opened the door and took a few steps into my bedroom.

"Edward? I forgot to ask for a comb or something." She said as my eyes involuntarily scanned her body.

She had rolled up the sweats a few times because they were too long. She also had to tie the bottom of the t-shirt at the waist. Her hair was a tangled mess; I could smell my favorite shampoo as I passed her going into the bathroom. I had opened a few drawers and cupboards before I remembered my comb was on my bedside table. I went back into my room to find Abby sitting on the end of my bed with her hands folded in her lap. Spotting the comb, I crossed the room and handed it to her.

"I'm going to take a quick shower. I'll only be a few minutes." I said as I grabbed my clothes and went into the bathroom.

I turned on the shower before stripping off the rest of my clothes. I got in the shower and just let the water run over me. Then I started scrubbing the drying mud from my body. It wasn't until after I turned off the shower that I realized I had left the clean towels on my dresser. I pulled on my sweats without drying off.

I grabbed my shirt and opened the bathroom door and went over to the dresser where the towels were folded. I was very aware of Abby's eyes on me as I grabbed a towel and ran it over my bare chest and arms. After I was mostly dried, I scrubbed the towel over my head, drying my hair. Then I pulled my shirt over my head. I grabbed the comb that Abby had abandoned, and shoved it forward through my hair a few times.

"What time is it?" I asked. It was only a second before she answered.

"Six o'clock. My parent's will have just gotten home." She said. I looked at her in the mirror above my dresser. I tried to guess what her tone meant.

"Do you want to go eat? Or would you rather I just took you home?" I asked watching her carefully for her reaction. Abby brightened at once.

"I'm hungry. Yeah, let's go eat." She said smiling again. Dropping the comb, I turned around and smiled.

"Where do you want to go?" I asked, beginning to look around for clean socks. "Do you need socks?" I asked absently. She laughed and nodded.

"If you can find some." She said, "Mm, pizza sounds good." I located some clean socks and tossed a pair to Abby.

"They'll probably be big, but you'll have to deal with it." I said, sitting down next to her on the bed and pulling on the socks. We went downstairs to the garage. Abby must've noticed something weird because she looked around the empty two-car garage.

"Where are your parents?" She asked. I thought for a minute as I unlocked first her door then mine.

"Um, they're at a celebration party. I think my dad won an important case or something. They must've come back to get ready while we were in the field." I said remembering Debby saying something about a party today.

We slid into the leather seats of my Eclipse. I backed out of the driveway and headed toward the nearest pizza place. I was a little uncomfortable with the silence so I thought of something to say.

"Did you have fun? Or did I scar you for life?" I asked chuckling. Abby looked at me and smiled.

"No, I had a lot of fun. It's been a while since I did something crazy just for fun." She said, "Although, I'm a bit puzzled at the finale."

"Yeah, about that, I would say I'm sorry but I'm not." I said, glancing at her out of the corner of my eye. She laughed a little, but that was her only response. I pulled into the parking lot of the pizza place and parked near the doors this time. The pizza place was nearly empty and it was raining again. We went inside and looked over all the possible pizza toppings.

"Order whatever you want…Except anchovies." Abby told me wrinkling her nose. I laughed as she went to claim a table. I ordered black olives and mushrooms on a small pizza. After paying I headed into the eating area to find Abby and wait for our pizza to be done. I spotted her and this time, she was alone. When I got to the small table she looked up at me.

"What did you get on it?" She asked. I sat down and told her what toppings I ordered. Abby just stared at me with her mouth opened a little after I told her.

"What?" I asked. She just shook her head.

"How did you know that was my favorite kind of pizza?" She asked. I smiled slowly.

"I didn't. I just ordered _my_ favorite pizza toppings." We looked at each other and laughed. Suddenly, Abby sobered.

"Why did you kiss me?" She asked abruptly. Before I had to answer the question we heard a shout. "134 Mazek!"

"That's us, I'll be right back." I jumped up before she could force any answer out of me. I couldn't answer the question anyway because truthfully I don't know why I kissed her. I got the pizza and returned to the table.

Halfway through our pizza a group of teenagers from our school entered the pizza shop. Two guys and two girls. I looked at Abby and saw that she also recognized them. The two girls were none other than the gossips, Becky and Kara. The two guys were undoubtedly their current boyfriends. While the guys ordered for them, Becky and Kara entered the eating area. When they spotted us, they smiled and hurried over to us. When they got to our table they folded their arms across their chests.

"I thought you said you two weren't together." Becky said first while Kara only nodded. Before I could deny it again Abby decided to talk this time.

"Things change." She said simply. Kara and Becky gaped at her for what must've been a full minute. Now Kara found her voice.

"Oh, well do you mind if we join you?" She asked; the question was mostly directed at Abby. However, Abby turned to me for an answer and I just shrugged.

"Sure if you want." Abby replied. The girls' dates pushed two more tables next to ours and made one large table. Mostly it was the girls who talked while the guys sat and ate most of the pizza. I was thinking most of the time, puzzling over why Abby would imply we were together after all. It didn't bother me; in fact, I almost smiled when I thought about it. When I looked across the table at Abby I saw she was frowning, my cue to get us out of here.

"Well," I said slapping my hands lightly on the table, "It's been fun but we have to go." I stood up and Abby followed, looking relieved. As we walked out the doors Abby leaned over to whisper something.

"There's only so much gossip one person can be expected to take." She said, chuckling softly. When we got to the parking lot I saw that our dinner guests had parked next to my car, so close that I'd have to squeeze through a very narrow space. I swore softly.

"Whole frickin' parking lot and they pull in an inch from _my_ car. See? _This_ is why I park _away_ from everyone." Abby just shook her head and chuckled again.

I unlocked her door and went around to my side. I barely managed to squeeze into the car. Pulling out wasn't hard but I was nervous for my car. Once on the road, I asked the question that had been bothering me ever since Becky and Kara joined us.

"So, was that our first date?" I asked smirking. Abby sighed and looked at me nervously.

"I'm sorry about not asking you first. But I do have a good reason for speaking so quickly." She looked away before continuing. "You see, when I recognized who had come in I thought all this out. If we keep denying that we aren't together and try to explain, no one will accept it and they'll think we are keeping a secret. Every time we're seen a new wave of gossip will spread around. But if we make no secret possible only a little gossip will go around that we're a couple. Then after that, we're old news." She finished by looking at the clock, which told us it was eight o'clock. I was impressed by her quick logic, but also disappointed that she would only say that to prevent gossip.

"Are you mad?" She asked, looking at my face in the dimming light. I looked over at her, surprised.

"No, why?" I said, stopping at a red light. She laughed.

"You were scowling. So, are you okay with people thinking we're together?" I thought about it for only a second before shrugging.

"Fine with me." I smiled at her. "So, did you have a good time? You can tell me the truth." Abby laughed again and ran a hand through her now-dry hair.

"Yes, I had a great time." She said, leaning her head back. I pulled into her driveway and leaned my head back as well. A huge yawn escaped before I could stop it. Abby laughed again.

"Tired?" She asked, teasingly.

"Just a little." She raised her head and peered at me in the now dark car.

"Remember that list I gave you. Also, I thought of something you should do. Write your feelings about giving up alcohol, write down when you have a difficult time. Okay?" She asked staring at my face.

"Alright, I will. Do you want me to date the little notes too?" I asked jokingly. She nodded seriously.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." She said opening her car door.

"I'll bring your clothes tomorrow." I said before she shut the door. I watched as she went up the porch stairs and opened the front door. As soon as she shut the door, I revved the engine and pulled out of the driveway, heading home.

It had turned out to be a good day, long but nice. It had started out frightening. I realized I wouldn't ever have a drink again, except maybe on special occasions. Then the day turned tiring with Abby's friends ogling me. That's when it turned great. We went go-carting in the mud and had a great time.

Once I got home I gathered out clothes and threw them in the washer, including the shirt I wore to the pizza place. I also figured out how to work the washing machine. My parents still weren't home so I sat in the den and watched the sports channel. I wasn't really paying attention to the soccer game that was on.

When I heard the washer buzz, I jumped up and went to load everything into the dryer, also learning how to run the machine. I read that it would be an hour before the clothes were dry so I went upstairs to my room to clean up a little, something I never did.

After a little while of picking up clothes and straightening my bed, I got bored and went back downstairs to watch T.V. again. Fifteen minutes later my parents' car pulled into the garage. I heard the door open and a minute later my dad's voice floated through the house.

"Edward?" I always thought it was ridiculous he would ask if I was home. He just parked right next to my car in the garage didn't he?

"In the den." I called back. My step-mom came into the doorway and groaned when she saw me.

"Would it really kill you to put a shirt on?" She asked, walking back toward the kitchen. A minute after she left my dad came into the den.

"You heard Debby, go put a shirt on. You can walk around like that in your own house." he said turning off the T.V. so I would leave. I sighed and stood up. Before I got to the doorway my dad said something.

"Did you work today?" He never really asked about when I worked so I was a little surprised.

"No, I only got one day this week, yesterday." I said, half turning towards him. We both heard Debby when she yelled from the kitchen.

"Is that the dryer running?" My dad looked at me questioningly. I merely shrugged.

"I went go-carting. I just wanted to wash the towels and my clothes." I said two seconds before the dryer buzzed. I left the den and ran to the basement. I folded Abby's clothes and put them into a neat pile. None of our clothes stained so I pulled my black sleeveless shirt over my head. I stacked all of the clothes into a large pile and carried them to my room.

I put Abby's clothes in a plastic bag before I changed into my black basketball shorts that hung low on my hips. I decided to go back downstairs to watch television. I was too excited to sleep. When I walked into the room my dad looked at me and shook his head. He then turned back to the T.V. where the soccer game was back on. It annoyed me when he was like that.

"What?" I asked irritably. I sat down on the long couch, slouching comfortably.

"You could be a little more decent and pull up your shorts." He said, not taking his eyes off the soccer game.

"I could." I agreed mildly. I purposefully moved my lower body so my shorts slid down a little further. He didn't see my movement so that was no fun. Instead he took the remote and turned the volume down.

"Who'd you go go-carting with?" he asked casually. I glanced at him.

"Who said I went with anyone?" I hedged. He glared at me for a moment before answering.

"You don't usually do laundry. So I went out to the back garage and there were two sets of muddy footprints." He said watching my face for reaction. I controlled my expression carefully, keeping it neutral.

"What does it matter who I went with?" I asked, running a hand through my hair. He sighed.

"I want to know. Who was it?" he asked again. I could tell I wasn't going to get away with a brush-off.

"Just some girl I'm tutoring after school." I said straining to hear what was being said on the screen.

"A girl." He repeated. "And she left her clothes here?" Glancing at him I saw I had succeeded in making him angry. I sighed.

"Yes she left them here because they were muddy. I told her to just let me wash them. I gave her a pair of pants and a t-shirt of mine." Looking at him I could see I was only making the situation worse.

Suddenly I got why he was getting so angry, it hit me so hard I started laughing. My dad looked at me like I was crazy, forgetting for a second he was angry. I finally calmed down enough to speak.

"We kept our clothes on in front of each other okay? She took a shower and then I took one. Wait, I didn't have a shirt on for a minute. That seems to be a habit." I said, remembering back to when I forgot the towels. "Nothing happened. We went out for food and then I dropped her off at her house."

He looked a little relieved but not altogether calm.

"Make sure nothing _does_ happen." He said before turning the volume back up on the television set. I decided it was time for bed so I stood up.

Thanks to my little stunt earlier, when I stood my shorts nearly fell down. I had to grab the waistband to prevent my boxers from being displayed to my father. I heard him snicker when he noticed me grab my shorts. I pulled them up to their regular place, which was still pretty low. Taking the stairs two at a time, I got to my room quickly. After jotting down everything Abby had requested, I pulled off my shirt again.

I sat on my bed and made sure my alarm was set. I lay down on my back with my hands behind my head and thought about everything that happened again. I was smiling when I finally fell asleep.

**Another chapter up. Reviews would be GREATLY appreciated. If anyone is reading.**


	6. Chapter 6: Abigail

Chapter 6: Abigail

Chapter 6: Abigail

I walked into the house, prepared to make a run for my bedroom.

"Abby?" I heard my mothers voice float from the living room. I sighed silently.

"Yeah, I'm home." I called back. I walked into the living room entrance and found both my parents watching the evening news.

"Where have you been Abby?" My father asked, peering at my clothes. I knew it would only be a matter of time before he asked about them.

"I was out with some friends. I would've called but I forgot to grab my phone." I said half turning to walk away.

"Oh? Which friends, dear?" My mom asked next. I thought about my answer carefully.

"Becky and Kara." Well, it was half true; I was with them for a little while. Dad seemed to have put everything out of his mind, he was watching T.V. again.

"Okay dear. Take your cell phone next time." Mom said also turning back to the T.V. I escaped to my room sitting on my bed. I couldn't believe my luck. After catching my breath, I set my alarm clock and decided it was time for bed. Edward wasn't the only one exhausted. Not bothering to change clothes, I crawled onto my bed and rested my head on the pillow. I lay there only a minute before dropping off to sleep.

I woke up to some bad comedian on the radio; I shut off the alarm before the punch line to his bad joke. Getting out of bed hurt my legs, they were sore from the go-carting. The top of my right foot also hurt where Edward had stepped on it when he wanted to go faster. Edward's too-long pants had unrolled in my sleep and I nearly tripped over the pant leg. Grabbing the thighs of the pants, I held them up while I walked around my room gathering clothes for the day. While looking for a shirt I decided to just where Edwards black t-shirt. I re-tied the bottom in the back with a rubber band. I grabbed my small purse and headed downstairs after pulling on some jeans.

There was some coffee made in the kitchen but I decided not to have any. I went outside but stopped when I saw a shiny black convertible in the driveway next to my car. Its owner was leaning against the passenger side door. Even as I continued walking Edward opened the door, smiling brilliantly.

"What's this for?" I asked when I was at his car. He shrugged before answering.

"Just figured a good boyfriend should pick up his girlfriend for school." He said smiling as I climbed in the low car. He shut the door but leaned into the open window. It was a sunny day so the top was down also. "By the way, you look great in my shirt."

He walked around to the other side of the car and climbed in. He started the engine and put on his sunglasses before pulling out of the driveway. He reached into his hip pocket of his jeans and dropped a small folded paper in my lap. I opened the paper and read:

'_May 20. Today was the first day of my abstinence from alcohol. I feel scared that I'll fail and scared that I won't have the comfort of alcohol. Today it was hard for me not only because it is day 1 but because I __always__ have a beer with my pizza, but since I was with Abby it made it a little easier to bear._

_-Edward Mazek'_

I re-folded the paper and put it in an inside pocket of my purse. After I re-zipped my purse I noticed Edward watching me from the corner of his eye. I smiled at him reassuringly. He cleared his throat.

"So, did your parents give you any grief last night?" He asked conversationally. I watched him shift gears and maneuver the car easily, then I answered.

"Not much. They asked where I was and who I was with. I told them I was with Becky and Kara which is true." I laughed, turning to look out the windshield. "What about you?" I asked in return. He didn't answer for a minute.

"What?" He finally asked.

"Your parents. Did they give you any grief?" Then I realized he was uncomfortable, he glanced at me.

"Yeah, a little." He finally said. I looked at him before saying anything.

"Edward, tell me." I said, he looked at me again and hesitated.

"It might make you uncomfortable." He said stopping at a red light.

"I don't care, I want to know." He sighed and accelerated when the light turned green again.

"Okay so my dad came home and thought it was strange that I was doing laundry, even after go-carting I don't wash clothes. I leave them for Debby. So he went out to the back garage and saw that there were two sets of footprints. He asked who I went with and I told him it was a girl I tutored, which was a mistake. He freaks out. It takes a minute for me to realize what his problem was but then I got it. I was washing the clothes you left at my house; you took a shower in _my_ bathroom. What was he going to think?" Edward rushed through an explanation.

It also took me a minute to understand what his father thought but when I got it I let out a relieved breath.

"And what did you say to that? I hope you made it good." I asked. He looked at me for a minute before smiling.

"I told him we had our clothes on in front of each other, and that nothing happened. I _did_ confess that at one point I was shirtless." He paused. "Now that I really think about that, it _is_ a habit for me. Debby's always telling me to put a shirt on." He laughed.

I remembered that part clearly, Edward wasn't as scrawny as his t-shirts suggest. His arms and chest are actually well muscled, and he even has a six-pack. My face burned with a pink blush at the image my mind flashed in front of my eyes. I saw Edward in front of the mirror drying his arms and chest with a towel.

We had arrived at school and Edward parked in his usual spot as far away from the other cars as he could get. We got out of the car when the bell rang. Before we reached the doors he turned to me.

"I'll meet you at my car after school." He said quietly before disappearing into the mass of students in the hall.

Once again questions were thrown at me throughout my morning classes. I couldn't help but admire the speed at which Becky and Kara could work. Usually at lunch I found an empty classroom to work on homework in, but today I decided to get lunch since I skipped my morning coffee.

I got my lunch and found an empty table. As I opened my milk I felt someone wrap their arms around my waist and lean into my back. Before I could protest that person put their lips at my ear.

"You really _do_ look good in my shirt." Edward said quietly. He withdrew his arms and went around the table. He sat down across from me and chuckled at my shocked expression.

"What was that for?" I asked, picking up the slice of pizza. He leaned forward before answering.

"Don't sound so shocked. We have to play the part." He said whispering. "Hey, how would you feel about coming to my house for homework today?" I looked up from my pizza and saw his expression was worried. Putting my pizza down, I picked up my milk.

"May I ask why? Just out of curiosity." I asked before taking a drink. He sighed, looking as if he'd rather skip the explanation.

"You know how my dad didn't believe I was behaving?" He paused and I nodded. "Well today's his day off and he wants to make sure I behave or something. I really don't know, he just told me to bring you there today." He finished by shrugging. I finished off my milk and picked up my apple.

"Well its fine with me. As long as we can leave when we're done. I had an idea for today." I said before taking a bite. The apple was sour; I made a face and put it down.

"Oh? And what are we doing?" Edward asked taking my apple and biting into it.

"I thought we could go to church." I said hesitantly, afraid of what his reaction might be. Edward stopped mid-bite. He lowered the apple and stared at me.

"Is this payback for making you come go-carting with me or something?" He demanded. I laughed and shook my head.

"It's not that bad, but no, it's not payback. I just thought you should come with me. I mean, since I'm going you may as well come. We need to spend time together if you're serious about quitting." I reminded him softly. He sighed and continued eating my apple.

"Fine, I'll come." He said, wiping his fingers on my napkin.

The rest of the school day was uneventful. I made it through my afternoon classes. After school let out I made my way through the parking lot to Edward's car. He was already there, sitting in the drivers' seat. When I got to the car I saw he had his cell phone out. He closed his phone and smiled as he leaned over to unlock the passenger door. I got in and clicked the seat belt in place. Edward started the engine and had started to pull out when another car backed out right in front of his Eclipse.

Edward slammed on the brakes and smacked the horn at the same time. He managed to stop before hitting the other car but still swore loudly. The other person gave Edward the finger, which only made him angrier. I put my hand on his arm to keep him from going and beating the crap out of the other guy.

He looked at me briefly and then shouted something rather mean to the other kid as he drove away. Edward took a deep breath and pulled out of the lot. A few minutes later at a stop sign he turned to me.

"Sorry about that." He said simply. I just smiled and shook my head. "Oh, I left your clothes at my house since you had to come over anyways." He added as he turned onto the road that led to his house.

When the garage door opened I saw his father's car parked on the left side. Edward pulled into the garage slowly and parked. After killing the engine, he opened his door and got out while I followed. He led me to the door that led to the kitchen. As he opened the door he shouted, "I'm home!" A minute later his father walked into the large kitchen.

I could see pretty good resemblance between father and son. They were both gorgeous, with their straight hair, classic facial features and slim, lanky build. The only differences were in hair and eye color. Edward was also taller, but only by an inch or so. His father had blonde hair and bright blue eyes, which left me to assume Edward's mother had green eyes and dark brown hair.

"You didn't need to yell, I have ears." His father said irritably. Edward just rolled his eyes and muttered something about 'that's what you do when you come home.'

"Dad this is Abby, Abby this is my dad." Edward said, motioning with his hands. His dad stepped forward holding out a hand.

"You can call me Jeff. Nice to meet you Abby." I stepped forward and took his hand. After mumbling 'nice to meet you too' I stood back again. Edward grumbled.

"Gee dad, you don't have to smile like that. It's not like you're meeting my girlfriend or something." I didn't think Jeff was smiling too much, just the right amount to impress someone. Jeff, however, turned to glare at his son.

"Actually, _Edward_, you'll never guess who called me today." He paused. "Mr. James Watson called when he heard his daughter's new boyfriend was the infamous Edward Mazek. He wanted to know if it was true. But I couldn't really answer that now could I Edward?" He continued in a quiet, deadly tone.

Edward just stared at his father blankly for a moment. Probably, like me, he was wondering _how_ my father had heard anything, and so soon. He pulled together his expression and stood up straight.

"Really? Now _that's_ interesting." Jeff glared at him, expecting more. When Edward remained silent, he spoke through his teeth.

"Well? _Is_ it true?" He asked, obviously trying to keep his temper in check. To me it looked as if he often lost his temper when dealing with his illegitimate son. I was prepared for Edward to explain our entire situation, including how I had become his rehab coach/counselor. What I wasn't prepared for was his actual response.

"Yes, actually it is true." He said shortly. Jeff looked between the two of us, open shock written all over his face.

"We'll talk about this later, Edward." He said finally. He then turned on his heel and left the kitchen. Once he was gone Edward's cold mood shifted back to cheery and he let out a relieved breath.

"I'll go get your clothes, just put all your stuff on the table over there." He said pointing. I nodded; he turned and left also.

I set all my notebooks out on the table he had indicated. When he didn't return right away, I arranged everything the way I liked it and started the first problem. After about ten minutes, Edward returned to the kitchen with a plastic bag in one hand. He set the bag on the table next to me and sat in a chair close beside me.

He watched silently for a while, only stopping me with a soft 'no' when I was going to do something wrong. Whenever that happened he would point in the book to what I was supposed to do. Eventually he was silent for a while and I was confident enough to start conversation.

"So, we're officially together now?" I asked casually. He chuckled softly in my ear. He was closer than I thought and I nearly jumped.

"If you don't mind too much," He said in a low voice. "I didn't want to try and explain everything to my dad. He would've laughed at me."

I continued my problem without replying. I tried to deny the pang of disappointment that shot through me. While I was trying to figure out exactly why I was disappointed, Edward sighed next to me. He took the pencil out of my hand and pulled my notebook across the space between us. He then erased the entire problem I just did.

After re-writing the original statement, he pushed the notebook back to me and handed the pencil back. This time I concentrated on what I was doing and I got it right. I was excited that I was doing so much better than I was a week and a half ago. It was only when I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing when I messed up.

I closed my book when I was done and sat back in my chair. After pulling out my gray cell phone, I scrolled through my phone book. I was aware of Edward watching me, but I ignored him successfully. I pressed the send button when I found who I was looking for. It rang five times before going to voicemail. I pressed the '1' button when it told me to and recorded my message.

"Hey mom, it's Abby. I just wanted to let you know I'm going to church and I might be back late. Mmk? I love you, Bye." I closed my phone and was about to put it away when Edward pulled it from my fingers.

I let him take it and watched as he also scrolled down my phonebook, occasionally laughing at a silly picture. He came to the very bottom where it said 'New Entry' in brackets. He hit the center button as he stood up and walked over to the counter and leaned against it, facing me. He had a small smile on his face as he typed. Once he was done, he tossed the gray razr back to me. I caught it deftly, I was about to open it again.

"No wait." He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a black razr. He must've found my cell number in my phone when he entered his because he typed a number in and put the phone to his ear. A few seconds later my phone buzzed in my hand.

I looked at the front screen and read 'Sexy Man'. I laughed and opened my phone. I pressed the ignore button and closed the phone again. I looked up at Edward to see his mouth had dropped open. I laughed again but harder this time at his expression. He came back around the table and sat down again.

"And what should I call you in my phone?" He asked with his phone still open in one hand. I looked at his phone and saw he had my number entered but the name was a blank line.

"Call me whatever you want." I said glancing at the clock. 4:30. Edward entered something in his phone and sat back in his chair.

"So what do you want to do?" He asked, also glancing at the clock. I thought for a moment.

"I don't know. We have an hour and a half before church. Do you want to go get coffee or something?" I asked. He shrugged, sullen again.

"I guess. I don't suppose if I complained we could just see a movie instead of church?" He asked his eyes hopeful. I laughed and shook my head.

"One day, that's all I'm asking for. If you come tonight we can do whatever you want tomorrow." I paused. "Except drink." I smiled pleadingly.

Edward stood up sighing, and I followed suit. After grabbing my books and clothes we went out to the garage. We arrived at Starbucks and parked as far as possible from other cars. I left my clothes and books in the glove box again.

While Edward ordered, I went and sat down at a two seat table. On the table someone had left a newspaper, so I was leafing through the local section when Edward came back. He put my steaming French Vanilla Cappuccino in front of me and sat down across the table.

I put the newspaper down when I found nothing interesting and tried sipping my coffee. It burnt my tongue badly so I just stirred as I watched Edward. He was staring into his cup, stirring its contents slowly. Reaching into my purse, I pulled out a ten dollar bill. I pushed it across the table to Edward. He put his hand over mine but pushed it back to me.

"I got it. Besides I'm supposed to be your 'boyfriend'." He said, making the quotations with his free hand.

"So stop sulking about going to church with your 'girlfriend'." I said, also making quotations. Taking another sip, I pulled the ten out from under his hand. He scowled.

"At least tell me what it'll be like. You know, what to expect." Now I scowled.

"We go in, make introductions, get a lesson and go out to eat. An hour and a half maximum." I said smiling now. "We can go into the teen class; you may be more comfortable there. Oh, and my sisters will be there tonight. I think." I added. Edward looked like he was going to be sick; I just smiled and sipped my coffee, which I couldn't really taste on account of my burnt taste buds.

I remembered suddenly, that I hadn't really asked him about his assignment. "Is it hard?" I asked. He looked up, surprised.

"Is what hard?" he asked, puzzled.

"You know, quitting alcohol? It must be hard, but I wouldn't really know." Edward looked down at his untouched coffee, stirring again. At first I thought he wasn't going to answer, but then he spoke.

"Sometimes it _is_ truly hard. But when I'm happy I hardly think about it. But these last two days, I think about going to grab a quick drink." He finally said in a low voice. I couldn't see his expression so it was hard to tell what his mood was.

"When is it hardest?" I asked on a whisper. A minute passed before he paused in his stirring. His gaze flickered to mine before dropping back to his cup.

"At night, when I'm alone trying to sleep. And when I'm not really doing anything, or eating something I usually have beer with. I mean I've only been at this about thirty-six hours but it is difficult for me." He said, still quiet.

"I can't say it'll get better but I know you'll get through this. One way or another." I said a little louder than a whisper.

I pulled my phone out to check the time. 5:17. wondering where the time went I decided to text my sister.

'_Hey, are you going to church tonight?'_

I pressed the send button and closed my phone, placing it on the table in front of me. I looked back at Edward, who was looking at me curiously.

"I was just asking my sister, Lucy, if she was going to church tonight." I explained shrugging. He finally took a drink of his probably-cold coffee.

"I didn't know you had any sisters." He said. "How many siblings _do_ you have?" I smiled thankful for the lighter topic.

"I have only two sisters. Lucy is nineteen. Amber is twenty, she doesn't live with us anymore but she visits a lot with her boyfriend, Josh." I explained, stretching my arms out in front of me.

"Why haven't I seen Lucy at your house?" Edward asked before taking another long drink of coffee. He didn't seem to notice how cold it must've been. I smiled at shook my head.

"She hasn't been home; she's been at work with my dad for the last week and a half. Something about seeing exactly what he does." I shrugged. My dad works as a manager at Bob Evans. I couldn't imagine why Lucy would want to even see what he does.

My phone vibrated on the table. I opened it a quickly read the new text.

'_Of course. Why?'_

I read quickly and responded.

'_I'll be there too, Will dad be there? I'm bringing someone'._

Edward had gone back to his thoughtful silence where he stirred his coffee again. I opened my phone again and put it on camera. I held it up at eyelevel, aiming it at Edward.

"Smile Edward." I said, surprising him. As soon as he looked up, I hit the center button, taking a picture. The result was pretty funny, Edward had a blank look on his face, and his mouth was slightly open. His green eyes were shining with confusion. Even so, he was gorgeous. I saved the picture.

"Now, really smile I want a good picture." He did and it left me breathless for a moment. I took the picture and saved it as his phonebook entry picture. Every time he called me the picture would show up on the front screen. By the time I had finished saving the picture, I had a new text.

'_No, he doesn't come on Wednesdays. Who are you bringing?'_

I breathed a sigh of relief.

'_I'm bringing Edward Mazek.'_

I closed my phone and put it back on the table. I looked back up at Edward but instead of his face I saw his black razr. I heard a clicking noise. Edward snickered from the other side of the phone.

"Okay, now smile." He said. I smiled for him and heard a sharp intake of breath I wasn't supposed to hear. I heard the click again so I picked up my cup and drained the rest of the coffee. As soon as my phone vibrated I picked up my phone and read my most recent text.

'_Good for you.'_

I laughed at the simple response and closed my phone without replying. She wouldn't respond even if I did. After looking at the time I suggested we leave.

_**-Skip to After Church-**_

Once we were back in Edwards' car, I checked my messages. I had one message from my mom saying she got my message and would wait up for me. I sighed and rolled my eyes. The whole point of my message was to tell her _not_ to wait up for me.

"Where are we going now?" I asked, closing my phone. Edward was about to back out of the parking lot when Amber and Lucy came to my open window.

"Are you guys going to eat?" Amber asked wisely not touching the car. I turned to Edward who looked back at me.

"Are we?" I asked before he could say anything. He smiled slyly.

"Anything you want. Today is your day to choose what we do, remember? I'll agree to anything you want. But," He held up a finger. "Tomorrow I choose." I smiled and turned back to my sisters.

"What did you have in mind?" Amber turned to Lucy, who shrugged. Amber turned back to me.

"I'm thinking Dairy Queen for cheeseburgers and ice cream. Are you guys okay with that?" She asked already backing away. I glanced at Edward before nodding.

"We'll be there." I said flashing a smile. After they left Edward pulled out of the small parking area and headed to the nearby Dairy Queen. As we drove I decided to make conversation.

"Did you have fun?" I asked brightly. He chuckled softly before answering.

"It gave me something to think about." He replied, half smiling. I decided to let that go.

"So, what plans do you have for tomorrow? Or are you waiting to be struck with an idea like yesterday?" He just glanced at me and smiled. I sighed at gave up on questions.

We pulled into Dairy Queen at 7:35. Behind us Josh pulled in on his yellow Suzuki motorcycle with Amber. Behind them Lucy pulled in with her shiny red car. We got out and headed to the brightly lit building.

Once inside us girls told the guys what we wanted, I slipped some money into the collar of Edward's shirt and went to find a table before he could protest. Amber and Lucy followed me silently until we got to the biggest table.

"What's Edward's problem?" Amber blurted, as if she couldn't hold it a second longer. At church, Edward had mentioned his 'problem' in passing, Amber must've been dying of curiosity. I checked over my shoulder to make sure Edward hadn't heard.

"You know. Mom and dad talk about him all the time." She still looked confused so I lowered my voice again. "That's Edward Mazek."

Amber's mouth dropped open slightly, her lips made a small 'o'. Lucy snickered next to her.

"Don't say anything about it though. He's trying to quit. I'll talk to you both later. Are you staying the night, Amber?" I asked not whispering the last part. Amber shook her head.

"I'll come over though. Josh needs to go home after we leave here so I'll go to moms after we leave here." She said. A minute later Edward and Josh joined us at the table. Edward took the money I had shoved into his shirt and put it in my ponytail.

"I'm not taking your money." He said, sitting down next to me. I scowled.

"Why not?" I asked, pulling the money out of my hair. He opened his sandwich before answering.

"Because I'm _supposed_ to be your boyfriend." I just shook my head and opened my own sandwich. Throughout our dinner there was little conversation. When Edward and I finished, I decided I wanted ice cream.

"Will you share a banana-split with me?" I asked when we got to the counter. "Because I don't know if I can eat a whole one right now and I don't want to waste money." He agreed and we ordered a banana-split with chocolate ice cream.

We received a few funny looks when we returned to the table with only one ice cream container. The rest of the evening was spent talking about random things. I caught a few sideways looks from Amber and Lucy. I even got one from Josh.

I was surprised Edward didn't seem uncomfortable; he was laughing and supplying conversation. Finally at nine o'clock Dairy Queen was closing and an employee politely told us to leave.

"I was under the impression you were a bit antisocial." I said once we were in his car again. Edward glanced at me and smiled a bit.

"Oh? And why do you say that?" He asked, now keeping his eyes on the road.

"Well, you only talked to me at first because you had to. I just thought maybe you don't talk to anyone." I finished lamely. Edward just shook his head and chuckled. By unspoken agreement Edward drove me home.

He pulled into the driveway and parked. I could see Lucy's shiny red Camaro in the driveway behind my white Mustang GT. I knew Amber and Lucy would be waiting to question me when I got to my room so I tried to delay.

"I hope you didn't have too badly of a time." I said placing my hand on the door handle. He chuckled quietly.

"No, it was…nice." I laughed too. But before opening the door I had one more thing to tell him.

"Don't forget to write your note tonight. Be good." I smiled and got out of the car. I walked up the porch stairs and opened the front door.

I heard Edward rev the engine and the crunch of gravel as he backed out. It was silent when I walked into the house. "I'm home!" I called into the empty foyer.

I walked into the large living room and found my parents there like I had the night before. Alexis, my mother, was doing a crossword puzzle while James was reading the paper. They both looked up at the same time. I figured I had time to spare so I went farther into the room.

"Hey Hun, how was church?" James asked as I sat on the loveseat with my mother. I smiled and pointed to a place on Alexis's crossword puzzle.

"The answer to that one is 'wharf'." I looked at my dad. "Church was fine, dad. You should come more often." He rolled his eyes and went back to his paper.

I wondered why he wouldn't question me about Edward and if it were true we were together. I shook my head and stood up again. I headed up the stairs to me room and paused at the door.

Finally after a heavy sigh, I opened the door and walked in. They were there of course. Amber was sprawled out on my bed with her hands behind her head. Lucy was sitting in my desk chair, facing the bed.

When Amber heard me walk in, she sat up on the bed tucking her legs beneath her. I crossed the room and sat on the wooden trunk at the end of my bed. It was silent before Amber smiled at me slyly.

"So Abby, you and a certain someone looked a little cozy tonight." Lucy chuckled to herself. I glared at both of them.

"There isn't anything like _that_ between us." I said; they didn't look convinced at all so I continued. "Really, I don't know what he thinks but I'm helping him quit drinking." Lucy rolled her eyes and smirked.

"And how is sharing ice cream helping him?" She asked. Now I rolled my eyes.

"I didn't want to waste ice cream and money. He agreed to share with me so I figured, why not?" I explained slowly. I could tell they weren't going to believe anything I said.

"Uh-huh, and what was that part about 'I'm supposed to be your boyfriend'?" Lucy asked next. I remembered that part clearly. Truthfully I don't know what he meant by that. I was pretty sure it was sarcasm but it's hard to tell with Edward.

"Well the thing is, everyone kind of thinks we're together-" Lucy cut me off with her two cents.

"I wonder where they got _that_ idea." I glared at her.

"It's because we spend so much time together, I need to make sure he doesn't drink as much as I can." I finished. Amber was in deep thought for a minute.

"So you're like his rehab coach?" She asked finally. I nodded.

"And he's my trigonometry tutor." Lucy looked surprised at that. I laughed at her expression. "He comes here after school for about two hours." I explained.

"Where have I been?" Then it hit her. "Oh, with dad. Is he coming tomorrow?" She asked. I thought for a minute and then shrugged.

"I don't know, I _think_ so though." Amber sighed and stood up.

"Be careful, mom and dad definitely won't approve of anything." She looked at me closely. "You like him don't you?"

I felt blush stain my cheeks. "Yes, but he doesn't like me the same way." I said looking down at my hands in my lap. She chuckled softly and left the room. I wondered briefly what she was laughing at before I looked at Lucy.

"Are you going to work with dad tomorrow?" I asked also standing. She shrugged and crossed to the door.

"Maybe." With that she left the room, closing the door behind her. I quickly changed into a huge t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

I decided I would wash Edward's clothes tomorrow morning and return them to him. After flopping facedown on my bed I relived the day. I was almost asleep when my phone vibrated twice on my bedside table.


End file.
